Love Never Dies
by HidingBehindtheCamera
Summary: Katherine's cousin, Anastasiya Varkova, fell in love with Klaus in 1492. Now that he's causing trouble for Elena and the gang, they bring her back to Mystic Falls to help. How will the two lovers react to seeing each other again? Will they always love each other or has Ana decided to move on? Takes place during season 2.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I've posted on here and I'm really glad to be back! Hopefully you like this story I've started because I'm liking the ideas I have for it.**

**I just wanted to explain a few things before I get into the fic. So, since this starts back pretty far, this fic will be hugely AU. I will be changing a lot of stuff and if you're not OK with that, you probably shouldn't read this fanfic. I won't be doing anything with the Originals as I'm not a big fan of the whole Klaus baby plotline or anything that's really happening on there right now. Just, FYI. Also, I won't be using a lot of direct dialog because I'm too lazy to look it up. If you have any constructive criticism or any ideas for the story, please leave a review or PM me. I love hearing from you guys and I like the back and forth that comes with writing on here.**

**Anyway, the beginning of this little prologue deal starts off when Elena goes to ask Katherine about Klaus during the episode Katerina, I believe.**

**Disclaimer: None of this is mine, blah, blah, blah. Credit where credit is due and all that.**

* * *

Katherine swallowed deeply as the blood ran down her throat, briefly purging the fire in her lungs. "So, what do you want to know?" She asked Elena in that coy, mocking tone of hers. "My deepest darkest secrets as we braid each other's hair?"

Elena poured another small amount of blood into the cup and slid it across the dirt with a stick, which Katherine then snatched up and drank quickly, sighing gratefully. "Tell me about Klaus."

Katherine let out a tinkling, mocking laugh. "It's quite a long story. Are you sure you want to know?"

"Just start from the beginning."

Katherine sighed and leaned back against the stone wall, setting down the once again empty plastic cup. "I met Klaus in England in 1492 after I…left Bulgaria. Well, really I was thrown out."

"Thrown out?" Elena asked curiously.

The vampire shrugged noncommittally. "Yes, I had been disowned by my family. My indiscretions weren't tolerated back then." She gave Elena a faux look of shock. "I had a baby out of wedlock, oh the shame."

Elena's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "And they kept it a secret?" She pushed over another cup of blood and Katherine drank it just as quickly as the last ones she'd had, the thirst never being fully sated.

"Yep. After my baby was given away, my parents sent me away with my cousin, Anastasiya Vankova. Anastasiya was always better behaved than me and I think they hoped she'd tame me while we were gone. When I met Elijah and Klaus, a so-called friend of theirs, Trevor, had brought us. He knew that I was the doppelganger they were looking for and claimed that it was my beauty that would enchant his lordly friend. Anyway, it was clear from the moment I met Klaus that he had no interest in me.

"Of course I didn't know what he was or what he wanted with me at the time, but he couldn't even be bothered to keep up the charade of a besotted suitor. He took more of an interest in my cousin, Anastasiya."

Elena raised her eyes from the ground in surprise. "Klaus had a thing for your cousin?"

Katherine chuckled. "Oh yes, they were constantly conversing. They became very close. Even when he invited us to live at his manor after our courting was official, Klaus never bothered to try and entertain me. His days were spent either away from the manor or with Anastasiya. I ended up spending most of my days with Elijah as he could see I was losing my mind trapped inside while I watched my suitor essentially court my cousin right in front of me.

"Anastasiya and I were always close, like sisters, but our relationship was never the same after Klaus. She fell in love with him while I became more and more wary of him. Later, I found out what he was and what he planned to do to me, so I ran. I ran in the middle of the night, Trevor helped me because he was hopelessly in love with me and seemed to think we would be together forever."

"Yet another man you strung along to help yourself," Elena piped up bitterly as she slid over another cup, lost count of how many it was taking just to get her through telling this story.

Katherine shrugged nonchalantly, tossing back the blood easily and sighing when it made its way down her throat, cooling that burn she couldn't ignore. "He sent me to a cottage where Rose was to hide. When Rose realized who I was and who was after me, she locked me in a room until she could take me back to Klaus. I tried to kill myself, stabbed myself in the stomach, but Rose came in before I could die and forced blood down my throat to heal me. What she didn't count on was me killing myself again and accidentally turning myself in the process."

"What about your cousin Anastasiya?" Elena asked. "Where was she during all of this?"

"She had no idea what was going on or where I was. Klaus lied to her and told her that I'd gone home briefly to tend to familial problems," Katherine said, laughing slightly. "That was a mistake. Anastasiya knew that I was never to be welcomed back to Bulgaria, even if my entire family was on the brink of death. She ran after that too. Once I completed my transition, we ran into each other in the woods and took off."

Elena sighed, pausing in her actions. "Did Anastasiya stay human?"

"No," Katherine said with a sigh, weakly gesturing for her to keep the blood coming. "She asked me to change her too. Anastasiya had no family left other than me, no friends. If I was to be immortal, so would she."

Elena slid over the cup before asking, "Then where is she now?"

"Beats me," Katherine snapped. "We posed as sisters for a while. I went by Katherine and she went by Ana. But after a few centuries, we began to grow apart. We decided it was best to go our separate ways. Last I heard she was living in upstate New York under the name Ana Valentine." She tossed back the blood quickly. "If you want to find out Klaus' weaknesses, go find Anastasiya."

Elena pondered this. Could Klaus' former love really be persuaded to turning against him? Katherine certainly seemed to think so. Obviously there was more to Klaus and Anastasiya's story than she was telling. Something darker and so Elena resolved to tell Damon and Stefan of this new information.

* * *

**Mystic Falls, 1864**

_Ana stood at the edge of the ballroom, watching the exchange between Stefan, Katherine, and Damon. It had been months of this, Katherine turning the two boys against each other. She was feeding off of them, treating them like slaves to do with as she pleases and it scared Ana. The woman who did all this was not the sweet, ambitious girl from Bulgaria. Katerina wouldn't have been as malicious as Katherine._

_The vampire made her way over to where Damon was, watching Stefan and Katherine dance with envy dancing in his eyes. She straightened out her dress, keeping her gaze on the smiling couple as well._

"_You_ _knew the price of loving my sister," Ana told him quietly, her expression giving away nothing when Damon turned to look at her. "Katherine is a lot of things, but she will never be committed to just one man. I warned you that it would come to heartbreak and yet—"_

_"I know what you said," Damon cut in sharply, his voice hard as steel. "But warning me and telling me of her…untraditional views on relationships does not cease my heart from feeling. It does not strike away the love I feel deep in my bones. No matter how she may feel, I love Katherine with all of me."_

_Ana sighed and her eyebrows pinched together as she frowned. "That is what worries me."_

_The night went on, Katherine reveling in the attention she received from both brothers. As the ball came to a close and the guests left, Katherine whispered in Stefan's ear, "Give me a moment to go up to my room to…freshen up." She left, casting him a mischievous smile as she went up the stairs._

_Katherine went into her room, shutting the door behind her. She didn't expect to find Ana waiting for her, sitting on her bed, perfectly poised._

_"What are you doing here?" Katherine asked Ana lightly, smiling as she began to remove her gloves and take down her lavish hairstyle._

_Ana sighed and picked at the beading on her beautiful emerald colored gown. "We need to talk, Katherine."_

_The other vampire raised an eyebrow. "So serious. Well, then, Ana, let's talk." Katherine sat down at her vanity, facing away from Ana as she continued her process of getting undressed._

_"Katherine, you're the only family I have and I love you more than anyone, but I can't do this anymore," Ana confessed in a rush. "I'm tired of going from place to place as you play your game of toying with men's hearts. You tease them, act coy, fool around for a few months, then kill them and leave in a flash. I can't watch your inhumane treatment of others anymore. And I won't be your accomplice in ruining the Salvatores' or any other family's lives."_

_Katherine's expression didn't change as Ana let it all out, but after knowing someone for centuries, her cousin knew her tells. She gripped each pin she pulled from her hair in a vice like grip. Her jaw was clenched and her eyebrows pinched slightly._

_"Fine," Katherine told her nonchalantly. "I won't force you to help me in my debaucheries any longer. After we leave here, we'll go our separate ways. All our attachments will be severed."_

_Ana sighed, knowing it was for the best. However, she didn't want Katherine to sever all her ties to her. She would always care for her and she told her as much. "Katherine, if you ever need help, I'll always be there—"_

_The other woman turned around sharply and glared at Ana. "Save it for someone who cares, Anastasiya. I'm in no mood to pretend that we are still as close as we once were. Now, if you would be so kind as to leave, I'm expecting visitors."_

_Her cousin sighed, but didn't argue. Instead, she stood and slowly left the room, the door shutting with a heavy thud behind her._

_It was only once her footsteps could no longer be heard that Katherine let her cold façade drop as the slammed her fist onto the vanity, cracking the wood. Her shoulders shook slightly as she laid her head on her arms for a moment, as she let herself mourn the last real companion she would ever have._

* * *

**There you go, a little preview into why Katherine and Ana split up. How will the Salvatore brothers react to seeing Ana again? How many of the vampires does she know? And, most importantly, what happened between her and Klaus?**

**You will know in due time, my lovlies!**

**- HBTC**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for all you lovely people who favorited the story or followed it. It's very much appreciated! **

**Please review! I would love to hear your suggestions for the story as well as any feedback or constructive criticism you may have. I have a few ideas for other fics that I'll be posting later. Please let me know if you're interested in that or if there's a particular fandom you'd like me to write for. (Note: I usually write fics like this where the main character is an OC I've created.)**

**Love ya!**

**- HBTC**

**Disclaimer: I don't any of the VD characters or plot, etc. **

* * *

**England, 1492**

_"His manor is so lovely and large!" Katerina exclaimed with a happy giggle as she waved her arms around her, as if that would help the gravity of the room they were in become easier to take in. Lord Mikaelson—or Klaus, as Katerina had begun to call him fondly—had a beautiful mansion in the country side of England, far away from the rest of the world. It was like a magical oasis to escape to, like something out of a dream._

_But Anastasiya was wary of this whole arrangement._

_"Katerina, listen to me!" Anastasiya exclaimed, grabbing her cousin's attention._

_Katerina smiled that coy smile of hers, looking ever the demure enchantress that she was. "Oh, Anastasiya, you're much too cross. Enjoy what our new home has to off. Servants to order as you need, land to explore, money to buy whatever you could possibly want."_

_"But don't you think this is all moving too fast?" Anastasiya interrupted with a sigh. "You barely know Lord Mikaelson and yet you're already intending to marry him? The moment you met was merely a fortnight ago!"_

_Her cousin shook her head, her giddy smile staying firmly in place. "Anastasiya, marriages have been set and formed far faster than that."_

_"But what about love, Katerina! What about finding the person meant for you?" Anastasiya replied, crossing her arms over her chest as she paced back and forth in front of Katerina. "You told me that you wouldn't be fooled by another man, that you would find his true character before you made any rash decisions."_

_Both stiffened as they remembered by Katerina couldn't go back to Bulgaria. Katerina unknowingly pressed a light hand to her stomach, remembering when she had another person's life within her before she seemed to snap out of her trance. A fire burned in her eyes._

_"Do not make me out to be a fool, cousin. I am not as stupid as you seem to think I am," Katerina snapped viciously._

_Anastasiya held her hands up defensively. "That is not what I was implying, Katerina. I just mean—"_

_"You just mean that I am too caught up in my emotions? That I am too blind to see that Klaus could have bad intentions? I know this already," hissed Katerina in a low voice._

_Anastasiya stared at her cousin in disbelief. "Then why do you continue with this farce of an engagement?"_

_"Because I am willing to give Klaus the chance to earn my heart. I will not end up bitter and alone like you," Katerina uttered in a cold, detached voice, leaving the room before she said anything worse._

_Her cousin watched her go, sighing and shoulders sagging. She let herself wander out of the room as well, down the seemingly never ending hallway until she reached the vast library. Coming from a poor family, Anastasiya had always been enthusiastic about school and learning new things as it seemed that she may never get the chance to learn anything more than what most of her family members knew about: farming._

_She idly traced the spines of some of the books. They were varying genres as well as written in different languages. Some were titles she'd read, but most were stories she'd never even heard of, let alone read. There were also a lot of paintings hanging around the room. None of them were works she was familiar with, although granted Anastasiya did not know much about art._

_"Do you like it?" A voice piped up from behind her, startling Anastasiya from her thoughts._

_She turned around quickly and was face with Lord Mikaelson's smiling face. He had an impish grin on his face, as though he found her bewilderment amusing._

_"Oh, I'm sorry, my lord," stammered Anastasiya, curtsying politely. "I can leave if you would—"_

_"No, no," he cut in quickly. "I just wanted to know if you liked the library. You seemed to be quite entranced with it." He took a few steps closer to her. Something about his stance and demeanor—it was predatory and domineering. He practically exuded power and charm in a way that made her shiver._

_She cleared her throat quietly. "It's lovely, my lord, I—"_

_"Please, call me Klaus," he insisted with an enchanting smile._

_Anastasiya smiled slightly. "Klaus, I was merely admiring your vast collection of novels."_

_He shrugged slightly, picking up one random book off the shelf and turning it in his hands, flipping through the pages of text. "I make a point of being well read. Do you enjoy reading, Miss Varkova?"_

_"Oh, yes," Anastasiya replied enthusiastically. "I find reading to be a very enjoyable pass time. And please, if I am to call you by your given name, you must call me by my own."_

_That seemed to please Klaus for he stopped his thorough inspection of the book and grinned at her. Placing the book back on the shelf, he turned and gave her a heated look, something flaring in his eyes as he took her hand in his and whispered, "Of course, Anastasiya." Then he pressed a soft, gentle kiss to the top of her hand, his eyes never leaving hers._

_Her heart seemed to be pounding in her chest and her face felt like it was on fire. She was no doubt beet red and the thought of her own embarrassment made Anastasiya gently remove her hand from his grasp and quickly change the subject._

_Turning to face one of the works of art, she murmured, "I love this painting of the countryside. Who is the artist?" She asked him quietly, eyes firmly away from him._

_Klaus sighed and shrugged. "No one of significance, just a French gentleman I know."_

_"Well, it's a lovely depiction," she murmured and then another painting across the room caught her eye. "Did they create this one as well?" Anastasiya pointed a delicate finger at a large portrait across the room._

_It was a painting of a beautiful woman. She was clad in nothing but a thin sheet and was draped across a bed. Her eyes were heavy lidded and her lips curled into a seductive pout. Her hair was falling around her in wild waves of golden curls. She had a hand extended out as if she were trying to reach out towards the artist and touch them. But there was a look in her eyes that was haunting, something about the way her entire body exuded heat and passion while her lovely blue eyes were almost…dull. No life, no emotion, just…round and blue._

_Klaus shook his head. "No, that painting is…one of my own."_

_Anastasiya turned to him in surprise. "You paint, Klaus? Oh, well it's…" she didn't know what to say. It was clear that his relationship with the woman had to be…personal. Why else would he keep a painting of her in his home? Why keep around a picture of someone meaningless? Yet, it was clear he'd put real feelings into the piece of art. "It's absolutely stunning."_

_He turned to look at Anastasiya in surprise. "Really?"_

_She smiled brightly at him. "Oh, yes. I'm surprised someone has not attempted to obtain it from you."_

_"No, no one seemed to even notice it," Klaus muttered almost to himself, his expression thoughtful and calculating. "No one except for you."_

_Not knowing what a proper reply would be, Anastasiya made a quick escape. "Well, Klaus, this evening has been lovely, but I really must be heading off to bed," she said with a small apologetic smile._

_"I'll escort you back to your room," he told her and they walked back down the corridor in silence._

_Upon arriving at her room, Klaus stopped her before she could leave. "I would enjoy spending time with you again, Anastasiya. When you have the chance, of course. I find your company to be…fascinating."_

_Anastasiya gave him a small, shy smile. "I would enjoy that as well, Klaus. Goodnight, sleep well."_

_The lord did as he had before, taking her hand into his and placing a soft kiss on the back of it before he released her with one last impish grin cast of his shoulder as he retreated._

_Closing her bedroom door, Anastasiya knew the butterflies in her stomach meant only one thing._

_Trouble._

* * *

**New York, 2011**

"This is all so bizarre," Damon murmured as they began to near the town they'd tracked Ana down to. "I knew that Ana was related to Katherine, but I'd always thought she was some human compelled to help Katherine or something. Not Klaus' lover from the 1400's."

Elena just sighed, staring out the window with a quizzical look on her face. "I just don't understand how anyone could fall in love with Klaus. From how Katherine described her, she seemed fairly nice. Not power hungry like her cousin. It just doesn't add up," she finished with a frustrated huff, settling back in her seat.

"Ana was very solemn when we met her," Stefan told her, linking their hands together as he spoke. "She kept to herself. We thought it was because of the supposed fire leaving her and her sister orphaned, but who knows how Klaus affected her. He might've compelled her and having his true personality come to light might've scarred her for life."

"Just because you didn't speak to her," Damon snapped back quickly, "doesn't mean she didn't talk. You were too busy falling over yourself to spend time with Katherine."

"Oh and you weren't?" Stefan challenged, his anger beginning to build. Elena placed a placating hand on his shoulder, easing him back against the seat so that he didn't crash the car. Fighting would get them no where.

Elena looked back at Damon in the backseat and asked, "Did you know Ana well?"

He shrugged half-heartedly. "Sort of. We talked from time to time, when Katherine was busy toying with Stefan as she would. Of course, Ana was vehemently against the both of us fighting over her. She constantly told me that it would lead to nothing but heartbreak and disaster." He paused and let out a humorless chuckle. "Speaking from experience, I suppose."

Eventually they pulled in front of a small, modest house in a very private neighborhood. There was a rather large garden out front with hanging plants on the porch. All three of them got out of the car cautiously, prepared for any sort of negative reaction or fight. As they began to near the house, they could hear the sound of a woman's voice as she yelled at someone else. Probably over the phone as they did not hear another voice.

Damon walked up to the front door with his usual swagger, attempting to cover up his own wariness. Stefan and Elena stood just behind him, waiting for baited breath as he rang the door bell.

"Just a second!" The woman's voice called back.

Damon rang the doorbell again.

Pounding footsteps followed by the sound of her voice saying, "I said just gimme a sec-"

Ana didn't finish what she was saying because she opened the door to find the last three people she expected to see on her doorstep. Her mouth was hanging open in shock, the person on the phone temporarily forgotten. It was like her brain couldn't quite compute what she was seeing.

Damon gave her a charming grin. "Hey, Ana. Long time no see."

She continued to look like a fish out of water, opening and closing her mouth a few times even though no words seemed to come out. She was startled out of her haze by the person she was speaking to over the phone continuing to scream at her. Ana pressed the device back against her ear and said, "Look, Joe, I have to go. Yes, now. And if you don't clean up your mess I won't hesitate to come and find you myself," and with that she forcefully shut the disposable flip phone.

Elena decided to take control and took a step forward from behind Stefan and Damon and started to say, "Look, Ana-"

"Katherine?" Ana asked, giving Elena a confused look. "What are you doing here with the Salvatores?"

Elena sighed. "I'm not Katherine. My name is Elena Gilbert, I come from the same bloodline as your cousin. I'm a doppelganger."

"Ana," Stefan said in that quiet, calm tone of his, "if you'd just invite us in, we can explain everything."

It took her a moment but eventually Ana nodded and stepped aside, "Please, come in."

* * *

"It's just...a lot to take in," Ana told them once they were all seated in her living room and they'd finished explaining all of the events leading up to now. "I mean, I don't really know what you want me to do. I knew Klaus a long time ago, yes, but that was many years ago and I don't have any knowledge that would be useful to you."

Damon shook his head. "But that's not true, now is it, Ana? You and Klaus were a thing back in the day. That's already something useful."

She gave the eldest Salvatore a skeptical look. "Damon, clearly you are going off of misinformation perpetuated by my cousin."

"So you never were with Klaus?" Elena asked, looking extremely confused and also a bit disappointed.

Ana sighed and picked at a stray thread on her blouse, avoiding eye contact. "No, we were...together, in a way. And I did love him, that much is true, but Klaus never felt the same way about me. Ever."

"How do you know?" Stefan asked.

Ana let out a bitter laugh. "Well, I didn't realize until once I'd left with Katerina and transitioned into the life I lead now, but Klaus lied to me. He was using me, attempting to learn more about Katherine's family and bloodline through manipulating me. Katherine may have agreed to court him, but she was a tough shell to crack. I, on the other hand, was putty in his hands. He had to say but a few kind words and I would open up like the idiot that I was.

"After Katerina escaped, he told me that she'd gone to Bulgaria because her mother had fallen deathly ill and wished to see her child on her deathbed. However, I knew that Katherine's mother was too prideful and wary of the shame her daughter had brought to accept her back in their home, even on her deathbed. That's when I left. After the change, I remembered Klaus compelling me never to tell Katherine of our...escapades. To never tell anyone, really. Most likely so that no one knew he was getting information from me.

"He manipulated me and used me to his heart's content. A man in love does not do that. So, do not question how I know. I just know."

Elena gazed at this poor, fragile looking creature, so different from Katherine. Where Katherine was dark and mysterious, Ana was bright and full of light. Her light brown hair cascaded down her shoulders beautifully. Her face was round and porcelain colored, her eyes reminding Elena of coffee mixed with cream. Her appearance was sweet and kind, her entire being giving off this comforting aura of kindness. She understood now how Ana could've fallen for someone like Klaus. People like Ana always seemed to find the good in people.

"Ana, we didn't come here just to question you about Klaus," Stefan finally said after a few moments of silence. He gazed deep into Ana's eyes, hoping he could mentally convey the severity of the situation through one look. "We need your help in stopping him. Klaus is coming for Elena and we need your help in protecting her. I know we never were close in the past, but I'm begging you for assistance."

Ana gazed at the three people before her. She saw the way Stefan and Elena leaned into each other. She also saw the way Damon seemed to hover around her protectively. This girl was someone special, this doppelganger was important.

"Alright," she said, meeting their relieved gazes. "I'll return to Mystic Falls with you."

_Now,_ Ana thought,_ I just have to hope that seeing Klaus again will be easier than the last time._


	3. Chapter 3

"Where is she?"

That was the first thing that Ana had wanted to know as soon as they'd arrived in Mystic Falls. No other questions, just the one. It was obvious who she meant, but no one seemed to want to give her a forward answer and it was starting to piss her off.

When she'd first asked, Stefan had avoided answering, instead gently guiding her towards one of the guest rooms in the Salvatore's home. "You can put your things in here," he told her with a gentle smile and while he was being very courteous, Ana still was a bit miffed at being dismissed. Katherine was her cousin, she had a right to see her after all these years. The last time she'd seen her was when she had helped her escape with Emily.

Not too long after her arrival, Stefan and Elena decided to escape together on a romantic weekend get away, leaving her behind with Damon.

"So, are you to be my babysitter?" Ana asked with a sigh as she sat in the living room with Damon. The two had opened up a bottle of whiskey as they slowly drank away their troubles.

"For a little while. But I have a little tea party to go to. I'm trying to question Elijah," Damon replied, taking a large gulp of his drink before setting down the empty glass.

"Elijah?" Ana sat up straighter at the mention of the Original. "As in, the Elijah?"

"Elijah the Dickhead? Yeah, the very same," drawled Damon with a sarcastic wave of his hand. He brushed his dark hair away from his forehead and let out a tired sigh before getting up. He gave her a charismatic grin. "I'd better go clean up for Mr. Original Vampire."

Ana watched him head upstairs and thought to herself: _He has no idea who he's dealing with, does he?_ While Ana had thought of Damon as a possible friend in the 1800's, she was not the naive fool that she once was. Ana didn't know if these Salvatore brothers were trustworthy or not. Not to mention they seemed to be biting off more than they could chew. Elijah and Klaus? It was practically a death wish to take on both at the same time.

After Damon had left, Ana decided she needed to clear her head and taking a walk always helped her think without the rest of the world trying to chime in. She got up and threw on a pair of comfortable shoes and a coat before heading out the front door. She walked for a while, just pondering everything.

_What will I do if I see Klaus again?_ She thought to herself, shuffling her feet slightly. _Punch him, if I'm being honest. And Elijah too? What am I supposed to say if I see him? "Oh, hey, sorry things didn't work out with my cousin and she's slept with just about anything with a pulse since then" or maybe perhaps "Your brother's a total dick and I hate him, but you're OK"? No, no, all bad ideas._

She spent quite a while like this, wondering and thinking. In the end, none of it seemed to have helped the situation so she decided just to head back before Damon got suspicious or too pissed off.

And what does she come back into the house to find? Elijah and Damon, covered in blood, as the former appeared to be helping the latter out of some sort of torture device. Before thinking better of it, she just kind of blurted out, "What the hell happened here?"

Both turn their heads to look at her. Damon gives her a crooked smirk while Elijah is staring at her with wide eyes.

"Let's just say the werewolves around here like to play rough," Damon quipped as he seemed to find the whole situation rather amusing.

Elijah continued to gape at her. "Anastasiya?" He finally sputtered out.

Ana sighed. "It's just Ana now, Elijah. Anastasiya Vankova died in Bulgaria in 1492."

Damon raised a questioning brow. "You two know each other?"

"Well, you see..." Ana hedged, not quite sure what Elijah wanted to reveal and what he did not. "That is, he and I..."

"Oh, God," Damon bemoaned, shaking his head pitifully, "please tell me you didn't bang more than one Original?"

Ana let out an undignified squeak. "Excuse me?"

Damon sighed. "Are you avoiding answering because you had a thing for Original vampires? Because I'm the last person to judge you about it. I mean, there's a lot to be said about my own tastes. I did have a thing for your cousin, so..."

"Ugh!" exclaimed Ana, throwing her hands up in frustration. "No! I did not sleep with Elijah at any point in the past. I can actually keep my legs shut, while you apparently couldn't keep it in your pants to save your life!"

Elijah seemed stiff and uncomfortable with the whole situation. He quickly gave a nod to Damon before practically fleeing the scene.

"Look what you've done now!" Ana snapped, her temper rising slowly but surely.

There came a low groan from someone on the floor and both people looked to see Alaric waking up little by little.

"Look who's back from the dead," Damon proclaimed as he got up from his former torture seat, wiping his own blood off on his pants. "Bought time you woke up."

Alaric just groaned a little in response, rubbing his neck and wincing as he did so. "What was all that yelling about?"

"That banshee in the corner wouldn't stop screeching at me," Damon griped, gesturing to Ana, who let out an angry huff in response.

Alaric got up and looked over at the total stranger before him. "Hello," he grunted, trying to be polite through his splitting headache.

Ana gave him a tight smile in response. "Ana Valentine, nice to meet you, Alaric. Damon's told me much about you."

"And he's told me absolutely nothing about you," Alaric replied a little snippily. His phone rang before she could send back a biting response.

While he was busy talking to some woman Ana didn't know named Jenna, she headed over towards Damon.

"It has been days since I've arrived. I want to go see my cousin, Damon Salvatore, and if you don't take me that will put you on my bad side and that is the last place you want to be," Ana threatened, light brown eyes ablaze. "If you thought Katherine was bad, you've yet to have to deal with me."

* * *

Ana had imagined reuniting with Katherine many times. Some times had a happy ending and some of them did not. But the last thing she expected to see was her trapped inside that horrid tomb again, weaker than she'd ever seen her. And Ana had been there when Katherine gave birth to her daughter.

"Ana?" Katherine asked as though she wasn't sure if she were real.

Ana nodded, giving her a small smile. "Hello, Katherine. It's been a long time, cousin."

"Still a boring goody two shoes?"

"Just like you're still a manipulative bitch."

Both of them chuckled while Damon stood there, staring at them like they'd both grown second heads. Ana heeded to Damon's warning of entering the tomb and sat as close as she could to Katherine without being trapped.

"As touching as this bizarre reunion is, I don't trust you enough to leave you alone and I also don't want to stay long, so Ana, you've got about ten minutes," he said flatly before he sat down and made himself comfortable as well, making a big show of it as he did.

Ana rolled her eyes at Damon's theatrics and turned back to her cousin. "I saw Elijah today," Ana murmured quietly.

Katherine huffed and gave her a wry look. "Yeah, he's the reason I'm stuck here anyway. He compelled me to stay in the tomb."

"Well, you did kind of love him and leave him," Ana replied, shrugging. "No one's ego is more fragile than an Original's. Trust me, I would know."

Katherine let out a short laugh. "Oh, yes, your torrid love affair with Klaus. I'm sure coming her is dredging up just wonderful memories," she responded. "I know it's been a blast for me."

The two women continued on like this, teasing back and forth as though they were best friends or sisters. It was the most bizarre thing Damon Salvatore had ever seen. All he'd ever seen was Katherine the swift seductress or Katherine the manipulative bitch. He'd never seen her care about anyone at all and yet she seemed to have a strong bond with Ana. Her cousin brought out something in her that almost made him empathize with Katherine.

Almost.

* * *

**England, 1492**

_"I feel ridiculous," Anastasiya called from the back room of the library. "I resemble a harlot wearing nothing but this blanket. Are you sure this is a good idea, Klaus?"_

_Klaus smiled widely as he finished setting up the rest of his art equipment. "It is nothing I have not gazed upon already, love. I swear to you, no one will set eyes on this painting but you and myself."_

_Silence._

_"...promise?"_

_He chuckled. "Yes, darling, I promise."_

_As soon as he stopped speaking he heard the quiet creak of a door opening and then the heavy thud of it's closing. He slowly turned and was temporarily stunned by the sight before him. Anastasiya had her hair down in beautiful waves, cascading over her creamy white skin. Her body was wrapped up in a dark yellow sheet, the fabric clinging to the curves that Klaus had spent weeks memorizing. He knew her body better than she even knew it herself._

_"Why are you staring?"_

_Her soft voice brought him out of his reverie and he gave her what he hoped was an encouraging grin. "You look beautiful."_

_Her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes were suddenly very interested in the pattern of the rug. When she remained silent and bashful, he continued._

_"Sit down in front of that piece of furniture and sit so that you can comfortably look over your shoulder at me. You can keep the sheet wrapped around your legs and waist."_

_When she didn't move to position herself, he gave her a wide grin. "I can turn away, if you'd like," he teased, hoping to coax some sort of response out of her._

_Anastasiya let out a shaky sigh. "That would make me feel a bit better about posing like this."_

_Klaus nodded and turned his back. He could hear her quickly sitting down and arranging the sheet around herself. Not long after the noise of movement ended, her quiet voice called out, "You may begin."_

_When he turned, he was faced with an absolute vision. Anastasiya was gazing at him over her shoulder with her wide, doe eyes, the epitome of innocence and grace. Her expression conveyed uncertainty and a hint of fear, but her position was still strong and her eye contact with him did not waver for a second. Her hair was cascading down her back and her arm was tactfully placed so that her chest was not seen. The blanket was kept over her legs and stopped at the small of her back. Her cheeks were tinted with a light, rosy blush that only made Klaus thirst for her more._

_"You look enchanting," he breathed, smiling at her widely. His praise must have relieved her for she let out a long gust of air, sagging slightly as she returned his smile with a tentative one of her own._

_Klaus tweaked her positioning a bit, telling her how her expression should appear, before he began the long process of painting a portrait._

_The hours that she sat for the portrait felt even longer to Anastasiya. Though she knew that posing would involve Klaus gazing at her exposed form for a prolonged period of time, she had no idea how searing his gaze was when he appeared to be concentrated. It felt as though he were reading her mind and learning all of her deepest secrets. It was the most exposing time of her life._

_Finally, he announced with a wide grin, "It is finished."_

_Anastasiya smiled and wrapped the sheet around her nude body before rising to see what she looked like. When she came to stand by Klaus' side, she was shocked. The woman in this portrait could not be her. Klaus must've been seeing a different woman. A water nymph perhaps or a siren beckoning to him. This portrait conveyed an aura of desire and passion. It was like gazing through Klaus' eyes when he looked at Anastasiya and what she found surprised her immensely._

_Does he truly love me as much as his portrayal seems to suggest? She could not help but think. Like a composer writing a beautiful melody, was this Klaus' way of singing his feelings for me?_

_She turned to look at Klaus, who was watching her face to assess her reaction. "What do you think?" He asked her, trying to appear nonchalant, but the tenseness in his eyes said otherwise._

_Leaning towards him, she very softly pressed her lips against his. He returned her kiss with a passion, parting his lips so that his tongue would trace her bottom lip. Anastasiya threaded her fingers through Klaus' hair and pulled him closer. As his hands began to drift in opposite directions-one hand towards her breast and the other towards her waist-she pulled away from his embrace, breathing heavily._

_"It's beautiful," she whispered against his lips in between panting breaths._

_"This painting falls hopelessly short in competition with the reality of your beauty and radiance," he replied before pressing his lips to hers once more. As they kissed and let the heat of their passions consume them, neither noticed someone open the door and stare in shock at the intertwined couple. The person could only stare before closing the door again and leaving them be._

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! Long time no see! I hope you enjoyed this update of Always. **

**I was also wondering if anyone would be interested in designing a cover for this story? I've always pictured Anastasiya as the actress Emily Browning and the painting that Klaus drew of her was basically just a description of the movie poster of a movie Emily was in called _Sleeping Beauty_. If you are interested in making a cover, please PM or review to let me know!**

**Don't forget to review and let me know what you'd like to see next! Kisses!**

**- HBTC**


End file.
